Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
God’s desire is to bless His Children in every area of their lives: Spiritual, physical, mental, healing, prospering, deliverance, and protection. God has already spoken ALL The Word to make this so in a Believer’s life. We can find all of it in The Word of God. But it takes “diligent seeking” for God to reward us with His wisdom (Rhema revelation), so it becomes the fabric of our hearts (we know that we know) – fully persuaded. Then we learn to decree and receive it.
I love reading the 7000 promises of God throughout His Word. One such promise is found in Isaiah 41:17-20.
Isaiah 41:17-20
17 When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18 I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
20 That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
In the Old Testament, the physical Israel represents the Spiritual New Testament Church, and the physical forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent the Spiritual New Testament Believers. This is called “shadows” or “types.” You can study, as you should according to II Timothy 2:15, and learn about this. It will give you a new perspective and understanding of God’s Word.
Who are the “poor and needy” spoken about by God to Isaiah in verse 17? Yes, the Children of Israel. They had turned their back on God and His Word and sought to be fulfilled by the world and its system. They had allowed satan to deceive them into believing the world and its economy, or system, held all the answers for their needs and desires. In doing so, the land of Israel turned from a land flowing with milk and honey into a desert, a wilderness, parched places, everything brown and shriveled, dry, dusty, unfruitful, etc. It was not the Promised Land Israel had occupied hundreds of years earlier.
When we as Believers are deceived into believing lies about God’s Word or when we as Believers allow ourselves to be deceived into trusting and depending on the world as our source (education, position, power, money, knowledge, healing, job, etc.), the longer we depend on the world and its system (read satan and his system because there are ONLY two systems, God’s and satan’s), the more parched, dry, dusty, desolate, unfruitful, and barren areas of our life, or our entire life, will become. This is not God’s will or His best for us.
Notice God’s will for Believers in verses 18-20. God has said that if we, as Believers, will turn our WHOLE life over to Him, make Him The Source for everything in our lives, He will turn our lives into The Promised Land. Turning our WHOLE life over to Him means we are going to study (YOU – not your pastor or your teacher) His Word, learn how to operate in His Kingdom, get Jesus’ results in all areas of our lives, and be a living example to all peoples that we are the blessed of God our Father. Many in this world are looking desperately for a lifeline. And it will get worse in this world and in this country. As Jesus said, “the harvest is plenteous and the laborers are few.”
In verse 20 The Word says, “That they may see, and know, and consider and understand together….” “That they may see” is a reference to both the Children of Israel and the surrounding nations. This is what happens in our lives when we wholly pursue God. Just as the king of Sodom watched Abraham, the Philistines watched Isaac, and Laban watched Jacob, our families, our neighbors, our acquaintances at work, and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ will see visible evidence of God’s hand and blessing upon us. Not just talk, but visible evidence and testimonies of God’s healing, prospering, protection, and deliverance in our everyday lives. When the unsaved world and ignorant or deceived Sisters and Brothers in Christ see this in us, they will come to us to ask, “how?” What a perfect platform to share Jesus Christ as a Savior to the unsaved and to share The Kingdom of God with Believers.
I encourage us to decree verses 18-20 over ourselves and our families often. Other verses that are very similar are Psalm 1:1-3, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Deuteronomy 6:10-11, and Deuteronomy 8:7-10. I highly encourage you to decree these verses several times a year over your families and yourselves. Decree them in faith for this is God’s will and promises to you, if you can believe for them.
For a bonus today, take a look at Isaiah 40:22.
Isaiah 40:22
It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Notice that God spoke to Isaiah, who lived 800 years before Christ, that the earth is round, or a circle. If you read online commentary or the history books, the Greeks are credited with being the first to determine the earth is round 400 years before Christ. As always, the world is days late and dollars short. I spit upon the wisdom of this world.
In Christ,
Larry